DESCRIPTION: The principal investigator proposes a series of investigations, first to identify elements in a homeotic response element that are responsible for the specific expression patterns displayed, then to identify mutant phenotypes of loss of DEAF-1 function and to characterize the physical properties of this new class of DNA-binding proteins. Recent studies have clearly demonstrated that extradenticle (exd) plays a cooperative role in providing specificity to homeobox-containing gene function. The PI will determine exd's role in autoregulation of Dfd, and he will use both affinity approaches and the yeast two-hybrid system to identify other proteins that interact with Deformed in combination with a minimal response element. From these studies, he hopes to provide important new information on how specific patterns of homeotic gene function is controlled.